Automobile fender



Aug. 21, 1923. 1,465,589

C. RODGERS AUTOMOBILE FENDER Filed Aug'.' 7. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 C RODGERS AUTOMOBILE FENDER Flled Aug 7 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 21., 1923.

Patented Au 21, 1923.

To all whom it may ooncem Be it known that I, CowAr'r-Renoms zen of the United States,- re*s"i" 'atz Kiioxin the county of Knbir and State "of Tennessee, have invented Improvement in Automobile Fe'r-i'ders f ence being had to drawin"; lhis improvement relates structure for automobiles Whih" "to serve to protect the automobile' whe'n HL CO lli'S-lO'II with another auton'iobiie oraany other and also to body. Y

protect other a'htomobile or The object ofthe invention 'i'sto' frirovide such a fender-1 structure in a ada ted to serve at the ends -andals'o atthe si'desof the automobilejin snoli 'mairiner as to redirce shock and a'ioidflinterlockiiig during-cranision. A further objeet ofthe invention is to provide suchastruotlire iii econemic'al rorm andin aform; to thej-ledst-'extent ambersome and unsightly." 5

v At each end of the eutom'obilefmy :i'mproved fender structure embodies a truss and this'fender struc ture is'so hpplied to the endsand'sides of t-he 'a utomobil'e as to c-z iu'se that structure and the automobile frame-to form a ti u ss1 trhCtI B, whereby greater stalbilityis given tofthe aiito'rhobil-frahief of the and nsefm A e In Fi' is th V --as bein'r* tubul a r sofi as' to form"- which the cable Ztomobile: A theauto Dh l C1 anda le supports.

or clamped to saldehorns' endofieach ibracket, G is, ancab1evSI1pp r l' ..:iEaeh ofiz-said snpportsris in theziorm of; as: sleeve which fist zthorizo'ntfal and trans 1 "Verse to? the' v lengfthofthei automobile and-10f Tl prop'erlinternahdiameter to' receivecthe. cable, F.==;1;The orbss b-zir, IG J, is supported by; the

brackets; C and thwends-iof said b-arr project I outwrd faway from the middle; wupright, longitudinal planet of. the ai1tomobile l iamherszthan: 'the -zreich of" the. 5 front wheels,

B; when the {wheels are i turned a side'wise: as

*far as f jaermitted for: steering the automobile.

each e'nd ofth el'oss-baqilwis a'eu-rved r 1 i ig. 7* shows in detail A support, i't-hes' support being, 'gro'oyed 'd"on orn'er" support;

E sleere in will lie.

I thegspweb t v heel f d the pz'tliraibfhrearlwheelsgitwo he machinemn- "ers an dmndefifand Ina thei-ifm' mashownrin angers iheihig the'r which place-the cable the louten :faceaxto ztconform sh own wee'nrivthe l'pairiof. forward other .9 bradkiet structure, E, which is similar to the bracket structure, C, at the front of the automobile. The bracket structure, E, consists of the brackets, E cable supports, E cross bar, E and-cable supports, E, corresponding, respectively, to the members, C C C and C of the bracket structure, C.

The cable, F, is a strong wire cable, preferably formed of steel wire. Such a cable three-quarters of an inch thick has been found suflicient. The cable is passed through the cable supports, C C D E and E. Each end of the cable is secured to one of the outer members, F of a turnbuckle having an inner or middle link member F By turning the link member, F to draw the members, F toward each other,

' the ends of the cable are drawn toward each other, whereby desired tension is given to the cable. In the drawings, the turnbuckle is shown at the-rear of the automobile between the rear cable supports, E But it will be; understood that the turn-buckle may be placed at any other point along the course of the cable, and that more than one turn-buckle may be used.

It has been stated above that the cross bars, D, D, are only long enough to extend outward a little beyond the outer edges of the running boards, B. The rear cross bar, 15 is.preferably of the same length as the cross bars. D, D. But the sidewise movement of the front steering wheels, B, B, necessitates placing the part of the cable, F, which is forward of the forward cross bar, D, farther away from the longitudinal upright middle plane of the automobile.

This is accomplished by making the cross bar, C longer than the cross bars, D, D.

A set-bolt, F may be seated in any desired number of the cable supports, C D

and E the inner ends of the bolts being made to bear against the cable to hold the cable immovably in the support. Before these bolts are set, the cable is to be put under tension by shortening the turnbuckle.

The/ends of the sleeve-form cable supports are tapered to facilitate the sliding of colliding external bodies along the cable and over the sleeve-form supports.

The cable possesses flexibility. The supporting structures, C and E, and the crow bars, D, being long relative to their crosssectlon also possess some flexibility. When there is contact between the cable and anothpr automobile or any other body, the cab e yields to a limited degree, due to the flexibility of the cable and the supporting structures and the cross bars, D, whereby shock is absorbed or reduced. If the engagement between the cable fender and the other automobile or body is diagonal to the part ofthe cable which is engaged, such body will tend to slide or slipalong the course of the cable until. the direction of said bodyhas been changed or it's force reduced or overcome. Thus the cable constitutcs a deflectingmember extending entirely around the automobile in such position and relationship as to avoid interlocking of the wheels and other usually-exposed parts of the automobile when there is collision with another automobile or any other body. Avoiding such interlocking is an important step in avoiding damage to the colliding bodies and is important relative to the reduction of force and the relative change of course of thecolliding bodies.

It is to be observed that the manner of attaching the supporting structures for the cable supports is to be varied according to requirements presented by various types of automobiles.

It is also to be observed that the cable is a tension member which may be varied; but it must be recognized that the yielding due to flexibility and the adaptation to permit sliding of a colliding body along the tension member are important.

Relative to avoiding interlocking during collision, it is to be noted that all the tension member supporting structures extend horizontally away from the automobile in such manner as to make the tension member serve to keep the colliding body from engaging the supportingstructures and, as

above stated, the ends of the cable supports 1 and the arms supporting the sleeves, G together form a truss, whereby greater strength is given to .the part ofthe fender structure at that end of the automobile. A similar truss is formed at the rear end-of the car by the cable and the cross bar, E and the armssupporting the sleeves, E As shown in Fig. 1. the sleeves, D, at the sides of the automobile are below the level of the corner sleeves, C and E and the body of each side member. A. is above the level of the sleeves, C and E. Hence the frame and the end supporting structures and the brackets supporting the sleeves, D and the tension member or cable, F, together form a truss structure.

I claim as my invention,

1. The combination with the frame of an automobile. of supporting members extend- When the cable, F, has

ing outward at the ends and sides of the I supported-by saidsupporting members, substantially as describ I 2. Thecombinatio" withthe frame of an automobile, of supporting members extend- Jingbutward at the ends and' 'sides'of the stantially, as, described."

The fee bination i'ith the frame of an automobile, .of supporting members extending];.outward at the" en simd sides of the automobile and havingi'flexijbility. and a cable extending around andjs paced from the autonmbilev and supported by said supporting members, substantially as described.

5,",The, co'mbination with the frame of an automobile, [of supportingmembers extending outward at theends and sides of the automobile, a tensiou' 'memher extending around the automobile and supported by said supporting members, and adjustable meansffor joining the ends of the tension member, substantially as described.

6, .In an autmobile'ihaviug running boards, the combination with the frame of the automobile." of supporting members extending outwardjat the ends and sides of the automobile Iand a tension member extending around the automobile and sup-ported by said supporting members at approximately theheight of and outward of the running boards. substantially as described.

7.' The'combination with the frame of an automobile, of tension member supports at the sides of the automobile and tension mew her supports placed at the front of the automobile farther laterally than the side tension member supports, whereby space for the lateral moving of the steering wheels is left within the tension member, substantially as 5 described. r

33. The combination with the side members of a'nautomobile frame. of supporting members extending outward from the ends and sides of the side .members', and a tension -member extending around and spaced from the automobile and supported by said supporting members, substantially as described.

9. The combination with an automobile frame comprising spring horns, of supporting structures securedto said horns, and a tension member extending around the auto mobile and supported by said supporting members, substantially as described.

10. The combination with an automobile frame comprising spring horns, of support ing structures secured to said horns, laterally-directed tension member supporting structures between the ends of said frame, and'a tension member extending around the automobile and supported by said supporting structures, substantially as described.

' 11. The combination with an automobile having running boards along its sides, of a tensionfender structure extending around the automomible at approximately the the height of and near' the running boards and adapted to permit sliding on said ten sion structure when there is collision between said structure and an outside body, substantlally as described.

13. The combination with an automobile having running boards along its sides, of a relatively stationary tension fender structure extending around the automobile at approximately the height of and near the running boards and adapted to permit sliding on said tension structure when there is collision between said structure and an outside body, substantially as described.

14. The combination with the frame of an automobile, of sleeve-form'supporting mem-' here at the'ends and sides of the automobile, a tension member extending around the automobile and through said sleeve-form supporting members, and means on a tension member against movement in said sleeve-form member, substantially as described. i

15. The combination with the frame of an automobile, of sleeve-form supportingmembers atthe ends and-sides ofthe automobile, a tension member extending around theautomobile 'and through said sleeve-form supportin members, means on a part of said sleeve-aorm members for binding the tension member against movement in said sleeveform member, and means for giving tension to the tension member, substantially as described.

16. The combination with the frame of an automobile, ofa supporting structure supported 'by and extending across and away from the end'of the frame and comprising longitudinal arms and transverse arms, and

a tension member also extending across the part of sald sleeve-form members for binding the from the end of the frame and comprising longitudinal arms and transverse arms and a tension member also extending across the end of the frame and spaced from the automobile and. supported by and infront of said arms with its outer parts slanting to ward the automobile in a manner to form a truss, substantially as described.

19. The combination with the frame of an automobile, of a supporting structure extending across and away from the end of the frame and having engaging members spaced from the automobile and out of alignment with each other, and a tension member applied to and supported by said engaging members in a manner to form a truss, substantially as described. Y

20. An attachment for an automobile comprising a supporting structure adapted to be secured to the ends of the side members of the automobile frame and to extend across and away from the end of said frame, and a tension member also extending across the end of the automobile and secured to said supporting structure spaced from the automobile and in a manner forming a truss, substantially as described.

21. An attachment for an automobile, said attachment comprising a supporting structure adapted to be secured to the ends of the frame side members and extending horizontally across and away from the end of the frame and bearing a group. of members for engaging the tension member, the members of said group being arranged horizontally along the outer edge of the supporting structure and transversely to theframe and the end members of said group being in a transverse linewhich is nearer the end of the automobile than is the other part of said group, and a'tension member supported by said engaging members, substantially as described. I

22. The combination with the frame of an automobile, of a supporting structure supported by and extending across and away from the end of the frame and having along its outer transverse border a group of sleeves out of alignment with each other; and a tension member supported in said sleeves, substantially as described.

23. The combination with the frame of an automobile, of a supporting structure supported by and extending across and away corner members, and a tension memberextending along andengaged by said engag-' ing members, whereby the supporting structure and said tensionrmember form a truss, 4 I515 substantially as described.

24. The combination with the frame of an automobile, of a supporting structure sup-' ported by andexte-nding across and away from each end of the frame and havingengagin members, supporting structures placer intermediate the frame ends and extending away from the frame and terminating at a lower level than the level of the engaging members of the end supporting structures, and a tension member supported by the engaging members of said end structures and by said side supporting members, whereby the frame and the end structures and the side structures and the tension member. together form a truss structure, substantially as described. r

25. The combination with the frame of an automobile, of supporting members'extending outward at the ends and sides of the automobile, the supporting members at the sides being lower than those at the ends, and a tension member extending around-and spaced from the automobile and supported by said supporting member's, whereby the tension member and the supporting members form a fender and said tension member and said supporting members and the automobile frame form a truss structure, substantially as described. r

26. The combination with the frame of. an automobile, of apertured supporting members extending outward at. the ends and sides of the automobile, the supporting members at the sides being lower than the supporting members at the ends, and a tension member extending through the apertures of said members and around and spaced from the automobile, whereby said tension member and said supporting members form .a

fender and the tension member and the supporting members and frame together form a truss structure, substantially as described.

27. The combination with the frame ofan' automobile, of a supporting structure extending'across and away from the end of the frame and having brackets extending to the frame and having corner sleeves and sleeves intermediate the corner sleeves, and a tension member supported in said sleeves, substantially. as described. 1

In testimony whereof I have signed my name this 29th day of July, in the year one thousand nine hundred and twenty-two.

COWAN RODGERS. 

